708 7'jiANSAC77oys OF THE American Institute. 



culture should take a rank among our prominent industries ; for silk 

 is silk, and practical men, who hav£ a keen eye to business, should 

 examine into this new industry, and make it remunerative to grower 

 and manufacturer. It would also open up a great field of employ- 

 ment for the women and children in various portions of our countrj'-, 

 and be the means of bringing into general use a useful, handsome 

 and durable material. Let us by our influence and united efforts do 

 all we can, and strain every nerve to enrich our country with this 

 new and valuable industry, and induce others to make trials with 

 these valuable races, which must become of great importance, and 

 lead to ultimate success, " that our American ladies can, by the 

 introduction of this beautiful material," be enabled to wear robes of 

 satin at the cost of those of wool. Then we may indeed show to the 

 old world the true genius and dignity of American labor, and oflTer 

 garments from American looms fit to clothe a king, or to be worn by 

 a prince and princess royal, for they would be good enough for us. 

 and we, in our own way and after our own fashion, are all kings, 

 Our children, too, belong to the royal race of man, and they well 

 deserve their fine garments, all the more if they learn how to earn 

 and make, as well as to display and wear them. 



Mr. J. B. Lyman moved a vote of thanks to Mr. Warren, for his 

 interesting paper, which was unanimously adopted. 



« Adjourned. 



February 22, 1870. 



Nathan C. Ely, Esq., in the cliair ; Mr. John W. Chambers, Secretary. 

 Great Crops of Corn. 

 Mr. iS"athan Pierce, Paulding, N. Y. — It has long been my ambition 

 to raise 100 bushels of good sound corn from an acre. I have tried 

 barn-yard manure in profusion, used the phosphates freely, and been 

 liberal in application of guano and other fertilizers, but always found 

 an impassible gulf between seventy-five bushels and the maximum to 

 which I aspire. I am aware that newspapers often speak of such 

 achievements, but I am a very singular man about one thing — I don't 

 believe everything I see in a newspaper. Let me ask, without 

 ofiense or doubting, whether any one of 3'ou has raised, from his 

 own kind, or has known any of his neighbors, I mean from personal 

 knowledge, to raise 100 bushels of merchantable corn, weighing 



